Without auto-update, 2 million users downloaded IE9 RC

Raw first-week sales numbers are often used to indicate the efficacy of a product's launch. But really, the thing these numbers best represent is the level of user excitement. Today, Microsoft revealed that users were very excited about Internet Explorer 9 RC, which launched last week.

According to Microsoft, IE9 RC was downloaded 2 million times in the six days following its launch. While a big number, it's doubly significant because these were users who actively downloaded the software without a Windows Update auto update, or a system alert telling them an update was available. These users knew the update was there and went out and got it.

Starting on Friday last week, IE9 Release Candidate began rolling out as an Automatic Update to a small group of IE9 Beta users. The Internet Explorer Engineer's blog said it will eventually expand to cover all beta users.

For IT organizations that are testing IE9 beta for security and compatibility, Microsoft last week pushed out the auto-update blocker toolkit to manage updates if they may not be finished with tests. Organizations using Windows Server Update Services or System Center Configuration Manager would not need to install the toolkit.